Thread supplying mechanism



June 2, 1953 w. ScHwElTER l 2,640,654

' I THREAD SUPPLYING MECI'INISVl Filed May' 27, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 1H1' Z1-gf. 2.

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THREAD SUPPLYING MECHANISM Filed May 27, 1 947 2 sheets-sheet;

mlNVENR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREAD SUPPLYING MEcHANisMWalter Schweiter, Horgen, Switzerland, assigner to MaschinenfabrikSchweiter A. G., a corporation of Switzerland Application May 27, 1947,Serial No. 750,663 In Switzerland July 29, 1946 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-35.6)

This invention relates to devices for delivering l the threads from anumber of cops or the like successively and joined together end to end.Such devices may be used to furnish threads to spoolers, so called; thatis to say, machines which take .the threads from a number of cops joinedend to end and wind them into larger packages of corresponding longthread lengths. Speaking generally however my thread-furnishing devicecan be used to furnish thread to any machine that may require such longlengths of thread las it is capable of providing.

lt is to be understood that the term cop is used in this specificationand its claims in a generic sense; that is to say, regardless of whether.the thread package is cone shaped or otherwise,

and regardless of whether the thread is wound and carried on a pirn,spool, spindle, tube, cone etc., or is hollow wound.

Speaking generally the thread delivering or 'thread furnishing device ofmy invention involves a rotatable member, in which a number of cops areplaced and which carries them successively to .an unwinding position, athread-tying mechanism, and a device for bringing into tying relationthe end portion of the thread of an unwound 'or nearly unwound cop andwith the starting end of the thread of the cop that is next to be'unwound The whole may be controlled by a tional cops can be supplied tothe thread furnisher from time to time and thereby thread of vany lengthwhatsoever can be delivered by the furnisher.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred form of my invention.In these drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rotatable mechamsm,the controller or gear box and the tying ,mechanism Fig. 2 shows asubstantially transverse section of the same apparatus. Fig. 3 is a planview of it, the arrow showing the direction of rotation. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of the gear box of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a planview of the box. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the side of the gear boxopposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section of the gear boxadjacent the side shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 illustrates the positioning oftwo threads ready for tying,

' and Fig. 9 illustrates the same threads after tying and cutting. Fig.10 is a side elevation of a modiiied form of gear box in which thefeeler acts y'through-solely mechanical means. Fig. 11 is al sideelevation illustrating the preferred cooperative relation between thefurnishing device of Fig. 1 and a spooler.

In the controller or gear box I is rotatingly mounted a control shaft 2on which are rigidly mounted a drum 3 having a cam groove and also twocam disks 4 and 5. On the control shaft 2 is mounted also a driversleeve l, which is free to rotate on the shaft and which carries aratchet or teeth 6; on a portion 8 of sleeve I is xed a pulley 9. A pinIII projects from one end of the grooved drum 3 and carries a pawl IItoengage teeth 6 on the sleeve 1; a spring I2 tends to press the pawl tothe teeth 6 (Fig. 7). A nger or catch I3, fixed to a shaft I4 that isjournaled in the gear box I, holds the pawl II out of engagernent withteeth 6 on sleeve l (Fig. '7) whenever thread is being drawn from a copcarried by the device.

A column I6 projects from the cover I5 of the gear box; it may bescrewed into the cover and an end II of the column projecting into thegear box may serve as a bearing for an arm I8.` A ring I9 on the end I'Imay hold the arm on the column end. On the arm I8 is xed a pin 20carrying, rotatably, a cam roller 2I engaging in the cam groove 22 ofthe drum 3. The cam groove 22 is so shaped (see Fig. 2) that during I5,reciprocatably, is a locking pin 26 which is continuously pressed in thesame direction by spring 2l.

On column I6 is rotatably mounted a tube 23 to which are tted, at itsbottom, a plate 29, or rotatable member having a number of positions forcops and serving to carry cops, and at its top a thread-guide oreye-and-clamp carrying member 30. The tube 28, plate 29 and threadguide30 constitute what I call the revolving box. The lower face of plate 29is provided with a ring of teeth 38 which are engaged by the driver pin24 and locking pin 26; the driver pin 24 turns the revolving box step bystep as the arm I8 is oscillated and the locking pin 26 prevents the boxbeing turned backward. f To the top face of plate 29 are rigidly fixed,at regular intervals, cop holders 3| on which are set the cops 32 fromwhich the thread is to be taken.

'The thread-guide 30 is providedWith a radial for each cop. Also springplates Se, one for each cop 32 of the revolving box and `eachattached atone end at 35 to the guide 3 i..e. adjacent to the path of the movementof the threadguiding eyes, and serve as clamps for the respective`threads by pressing the threads to the face of the guide. The springplates or eyes se yand vthe gthreadguiding eyes 33 are in substantiallythe same 'rotational plane as will be seen from the drawing. Above thethread-guide-30 a ring 35i, xed tothe column I5, carries a stationaryfinger or threaclcatchingihojok 541D v"that extends vradially outwardlyto `the cop unwinding station ,G with its thread engaging area at aboutthe position lwhereat the vthreads are drawn from the lbox, i. e.adjacent thereto, but more advanced in 'the direction of ,the rotationof the plate 29 than said -path of the unwinding threads. The threadIengaging area of the hook is also adjacent to -the path lci.themovement of the thread guiding eyes so as .tobe close thereto.

In gearbox l'is oscillata-bly mounted a -shaft 4| ,on which are fixed,inside gear box Ii, an arm 42 resting onthe edge of the cam disk-il and,outside the gearbox .l,'a stirrup 43 having an :arm 4'4 projectingupward therefrom. The cam-disk disse shaped'that once Iin each rotationof shaft 2 (Fig. 11)., and at appropriate times as appears hereafter, itacts on the armfi2 to Aoscillate shaft .IH .and thereby swing theupwardly extending `arm substantially toward the vaxis oftherevolving'box. At the top end of arm Mi is 'mounted a thread-tyingmechanism d'5 which may be of conventional -design or another designsuitable for .the purpose. As briefly illustrated here the thread-tying.mechanism has a casing -46 containing .moving parts of 'the mechanism,two thread guidesfli'i .and 4S extending 'from the casing d'5 andbetween which is mounted the knotter 49, fand, .on `the .rear of casing(i5, an operating lever 50. `#it is .fixed abolt 5i on which alever 52,to coact with the operating lever '50, is swivelingly seated. Toone armof lever 52 is articulated a .rod '53 Vwhich is connected at its lowerend 'by an .the particular cop that at the `moment is at the position,65,. at `which 'the cops areunwound. On

`the .-pin 60 is fixed also an arm B1 that carries a fcontact vthat isconnected to -a conductor (i2 which leads to two .-electromag-nets 63(Figs. 5 iandf) and (Fig. 11) which are connected to yone side :of anelectrical supply circuit. The

vcontact .onarm -BI is arranged to engage with an 'insulated `screwlfi,when permitted to do-so,

and this screw is connected by conductor (il tothe opposite sideofthesupply circuit. 'On the Yshaft IIL-:outsidegearbox I., is. mounted`a'marm Also to the uppermostpart of vrarm 68 that is attracted by themagnet 63 and thus rocks ill when this magnet is energized (Fig. 6).When the magnet G3 is not energized, the arm 68 falls by its own Weightand turns shaft I4 in the opposite direction. This latter movementcauses locking pawl i3, also fixed on said shaft, to swing inward .intothe path of the 'hose 69 on driver pawl H, and thus disengage 'thelatter from the ratchet or teeth 6. This disconnects the control shaft 2from the drive sleeve ,7 'andpermits the shaft 2 and the parts connectedto it to come to and remain at rest despite the factthat 4their ldrivesleeve 'I may be rotating. The parts are in these positions while a cop,at 35, is being unwound.

4Alsoat one vside of the 'gear box l is xed a bolt .It (Fig. 5) on whichis hinged a lever 'Il carrying .a pin 'i2 having a cam follower rolleri3 'mounted on it (Fig. 2). This roller i3 ccntacts cam disk 5. To thislever H is articulated a connecting rod 14. This mechanism `serves tocorrelate the thread Afurnishing device, -i. e. `the revolving box andits associated mechanism, with whatever machine `may be supplied vwiththread by the revolving '-b'ox.

Fig. ll illustrates the correlation of the revolving box, gear boxand-control -rnecha-nismfand the tying mechanism with a `spool'er whichI prefer. conventionally a spooier consistso'ff 'some frame members 'I5carrying brackets 'Ti rvonwhich are supported, side by side, a number'of more or less independently operating spooler lme'chanisms such as78. I provide one thread furnishing device, i. e. revolving Abox andjassociated mechanism, for each yspooler `mechanism. Each is mountedsubstantially in front yof 'thespo'oler mechanism which it supplies, andthe group may be mounted on some brackets i6 also tcarried'by thespooler frame members-T5. Fig. A1l illustrates one spooler mechanism T8andits-associatedturnishing device, the remainder being assumed `to bebehind those shown.

The spooler mechanism 73 villustrated (like each 'of the others ofthe-machine is 'driven in a `conventional manner by 'means of frictionwheels 'It and 3e from a shaft 8l serving, say, all the spoolermechanisms of the machine. These friction wheels drive a roller 8'2 ofthe respective mechanisms '#8, which causes the package 83 into whichthe thread is being 4Wound at 18, to rotate while a thread guidem,moving 'to and fro, directs the thread tothe ,growing .package or spool.The spocler mechanism 'i8 vcan vbe started and stopped .by the movementof its startinglever 85. When freed, the starting lever is drawn to itsinoperative or :mechanism-'stopping position by a spring 86, andis'held-in'itsfoperating position by a locking device. The lockingYdevice comprises a Vhook '8'1 mounted nn'the starting levert?) and alockingiiever 89 Which'has a .hookv to cooperate with 'hook 18.7. "Thelockinglever .89 is ,pivotedat 911 one` side Wall of the spoolermechanism 1B. When the twohooks are engaged the starting lever .85isghel'd in Vciperating position. During the winding -or.spoo`l ingprocess, the lockinglever'g i s.held inflocking position by a stop.motion arm 9.0 `afxed to 89 and which normally is held, .in itsposition shown, by the thread Bi passing over it onjts way tothespooler. yAs soon assuchpull is,in terrupted however, as ,when Ithe.thread `breaks and thus releases arm 30., this `arri-i and the lockinglever ,8-9 `are rotated .counterclock-Wise Aas :seen vin Fig. ll, bygravity, .andtherewith the hook -88 'falls away from -hookfl and springf8.6. i.turns the starting lever 85 to its inoperative position.Additionally the locking lever 89 is provided with an armature 92 forthe electromagnet 64, so that the locking lever is rotated to disengage88 from 81 when the magnet is energized and thus caused to attract thearmature 92. Accordingly the locking device is able to stop the spoolingmechanism both when a rupture of the thread occurs and when it becomesnecessary to bring a new cop into thread-delivering position. A lowershoulder 93 on locking lever 89 serves to lift the latter into lockingposition when the spooler is started anew. This result is attained byarranging the hook 81 on the starting lever 85 to press the shoulder 93downward so as to engage hook 88 with hook 81 whenever the startinglever 85 is returned to starting position. The spooler mechanism isstarted automatically whenever a new cop is brought to thread-deliveryposition by so disposing the cam disk that this disk swings lever 1|downward at such times and connecting the connecting rod 14 to thestarting lever as shown.

The revolving box and its associated mechanism are driven from the shaft95 (which may be rotated continuously) by means of a pulley 96 fixed onit and a belt 91, running over this pulley and the pulleyT 9 (Figs. 2and 5) on the driver sleeve 1.

The mechanism of my invention, including the connection of the furnisherto a spooler shown in Fig. 1l, operates in the following manner: Cops 32to be unwound are placed on the cop holders 3| of plate 29, and the freeend of the thread 34 of each cop is pulled into or through therespectively adjacent slot 33 of the guide 30, the guide wires 31facilitating the threading and preventing the threads 34 from springingout of slots 33 again. The end of the thread 34 of each cop (exceptingthe cop that is at the station 65 W-hereat the unwinding occurs) is thenpulled beneath the clamping spring 36 that is respectively adjacent thenext preceding slot in the direction in which the revolving box rotates(see Fig. 3), and thus is clamped at this place, and is cut 01T, say bya sharp edge of clamping spring 36. The thread 98 of the cop at thestation 65 however, after being pulled through its slot 33, is carriedacross the nger or thread-catcher 40, and then up over the thread guide99 and the stop motion member 90 and through the thread guide 84, andwound, say a few times, on the spool 83. This being an entirely newstart, the mechanism is brought into motion by turning the startinglever 85 to starting position by hand; the same is true following eachrupture of the thread. The parts are then in the positions shown in Fig.11, and from thence on the operations are automatic. The cop at station65 is rst unwound until there remains only a small ring |00 of thread(Fig. 8) on, say, it spindle (designated |0| by Fig. 8). Because it isno longer supported by thread the feeler 59 now falls so far as to bringthe contact of lever 6| against the contact screw 66 so that theelectromagnets 63 and 64 are energized. As already described, theenergization of the electromagnet 64 releases hook 88 from hook 81, thelever 85 shifts, and accordingly the spool 83 ceases to rotate. At thesame time the energzation of the magnet 63 releases the pawl Fig. "1,and the shaft 2 starts to revolve. The consequent rotation of thegrooved drum 3 and cam disks 4 and 5 thereon results in ythe followingseries of operations: Lever I8. because its cam roller 2| engages withinthe cam groove 22 in drum 3, swings through the angle a (Fig. 5) andback again, and this, acting, through the driver pin 24, turns therevolving box4 to bring the next cop in order toward working. position,i.. e. unwinding station 65 (or 65a inl Fig. 8). However the thread |02from, say, the spindle |0| of the nearly unwound cop is engaged 'andkept hook by the stationary thread catchback 40 and is restrainedagainst movement with the thread guiding eye of the unwound cop, eg. I0as the turning of the box moves the unwound cop, e. g. l0|, fromposition 65, so that this thread |02 comes to lie substantially side byside with thread |03 of the cop newly moved to position 65, i. e. in aposition favorable for the tying of the two together. This result occursbecause the positions of the thread catching hook 40, the clamps 36, andthe path of the movements of the thread guiding eyes and the unwindingthread of the cop at the unwinding station 65, are related to eachother'as previously described.

Thereupon the further rotation of cam disk 4, acting through arm 42,shaft 4| and stirrup 43, causes arm 44 with the thread-tying mechanism45 thereon to swing toward the axis of the revolving box between theadjacent two radial arms |04 and |05 of the thread-guide 30, at aboutthe position 65. In the course of this movement the threads |02 and |03are caught by thread guides 41 and 48 of thread-tying mechanism 45, andso guided that they are seized and knotted together by knotter 49,'whichin the meantime has been actuated from cam groove 22 in drum 3 througharms 56 and 54, rod 53, lever 52 and the operating lever 50. Knotter 49also cuts off the thread ends behind the knot |06 (Fig. 9). Continuedrotation of cam disk 4 then causes the threadtying mechanism 45 to swingback to its initial position. The spooler 18 then is caused to startoperation again by the disk 5 pressing down on the lever 1| to draw downthe connecting rod 14 to restore the starting lever to its operatingposition and reengage the holding hooks 81 and 88. The cam disk 5 thenrotates slightly further until the shift lever 1| is released by it, inorder that at the next cop change, or in case of rupture ofthe thread,the lever 1| will lbe able to move upward along with the starting lever85.

In the meantime the current supply to the electromagnets 63 and 64 hasbeen interrupted by the feeler 59 which is again contacting a wound copat station 65. Therefore the locking pawl I3 has been swung inward.However the rotation of shaft 2 and its cams continues until therevolution of the pawl again brings its nose 69 (Fig. 7) against thelocking pawl I3, andas a result the driver pawl is disengaged. When thishappens the control shaft 2 with its control members comes to rest. Thewinding or spooling operations at the spooler mechanism 18 now continueuntil the cop newly brought to position 65 1s almost completely unwound,and when this happens the operations described above are repeated, andthereafter will be repeated again and again until the supply of cops inthe revolving box is exhausted, or will continue indefinitely if' therevolving box is kept supplied with wound cops,

As before indicated, in Fig. 10 is shown a modi-v fication of myinvention in which the cop feeler acts through mechanical means ratherthan electrical contacts. In this case the feeler 59a is. provided witha locking pawl |01. A locking lever |08 pivoted on a bracket |09,remains in contact with pawl |01 as long as feeler 59a is prevented t'by' onwindingi'eop' from dnoppmgfdown. The armi-i Ile-ofthel'loekinglleveril isi providedryvith apin I `l--I engaging 'into-'aslot ifi'z: ofi-a? lever :M3 that'is flxe'dfonishat LLM'a. This shaft:can be assumed to perform ithelsame vfiun'ctionsas `Ithe sli-aft 1M of'the Searlierlli'lg'ures. To l lever al Ii3is Oanticu'lati-id :also :arod i lid, which @may ibe, :for examplaarticulatetiitoarm 92ofI-lookingilever S19-(Fig. il) -y.ltherrfcoioPtit-:iseammmnd .to suchan extent that ifee'ler :59a is hable 2 to -drop and -thereby releasethe `looking lever m3, lever 4:,LI 3 -falrls Land, 1 acting l:through11:11, ibrings spooler f .to a stop by fdravvingdciwn` the locking:lever :E9 .fand'i-theifeby freeing' fhook 181 from hook? t8. 'asbefore.`The lever :H3 .in dropping also, :acting thronghtslieitA ma,:cerresnonding to .lt-turns `the .locking paWl !:3,J.Fig, 7, therebyfreeing .thetpawl f H l so1 that fthistdriving@awlaengages fa .toothiinnrotating sleeve f'i lax-idf brings l.the control shaft '2 -into faction.The subsequent .actions 'will -sthen a be quite lilsertl'iose4 describedbefore, .aspwill be `i'understood.

.Itnwvillbe understood that-:my invention-iszznot limited1to1thedetailsbf construction :and :operation@describedpraboye.andsshown1in thedrawl.

ings, :except as1gapp i1rsf-hereaiter .in 'the claims.

I :claim: vLA thread furnishing mechanism comprising rotatable fmemb erhavingi a plurality :of positions for oops 1to1carry :copsfto :anunwinding e station successively, ;a thread-guiding `@eye for :each'.ofisaidfplurality of-:cop positions, :afzthread .folampifor :each ofsaidueyestoV hold :the .starting --eirdnof a-threadextending from its.respectively .associated eyegsaidneyes .and clamps ybeingfcon- 3 ycla-mods adi acentzztheiithread' extending.: from; an incompletelyunyvound copfatfisaidanothernstation, andsaltlu'eadtier v:tortieithreadsextending from `saidmtwio stations, said ..tier ibeingdisposed ,adiacentrtheizplaee uni-here the threads :are so adjacent.

2. -The subjeot I.'ifxiatter...of A claim 1, @characterized-:by thefaot-thatuneans:are.;provided,. located vtothe rear of :said anotherstation, ato :engage thread of :an incompletely funwoun'dacop at; saidranother stationf and-lthe #eyes andtheir'.'clamp's arefsolrelatedthataalthread extending ffromaneye'assocatedwithzacoppositionsatithennwinding station ;to Vitstrespe'ctive :clamp is adjacent 'a Sthread extended from isaid means 'toan in- .complete'ly .unwound 4:oop 1 at .said Ianother :sta-

tion.

3. A? thread. furnislringilmechanism :comprising -a-notatablezmemberhavingia plurality of posittionsfforeops to carryoopstoan unwinding sta--tionsuccessively andincludinganeye-and-clamp carrying member, isa-id,carryingfzmember provid- 'infsubstantiallytheJsame rotational lplane,means yto rotate-said.rotatable"member'to".bringfcop. po- .sitionsthereof to .the unwinding station .successively-.and movetliemtherebeyon'd; afeeler to feel :cops Vyat the vnnWiI-iding tstation1'and'effective before a cop being unwound at the unwindingfsta-`tio'nfiscompletely unwound 'to bring fsai'd means into action to'rotate: said member 'to `bring afcop xpo'sition with ia filled' cop vtothe `unwinding :sta- Ation'land movea' cop position at theunwndingstation .with an incompletely unwound cop vto another station beyond,means to -hold'adjacent fan' eye'atfthe unwindingfstation' thread of xan'in- :completely uni/wondA ecp 4'extending vfrom the yeye .at-.saidlanother: station-rai thread-'extending from van i'noonipletely 1in-woundcopzat-said another stationfthereby .being placed :ad acent a! thread:of

vaflled cop extendingirom an leye at the unwinding station toitsrespectively associated clamp,

.and a thread :tier adjacent the place Where threads :are lthus broughtItogether to tie said threads.

4. Thesubjectmatter kof cla-im 3,2'charactenize`d bythe facttliifatsa-id means to-liold thread of an .incompletely nnwoundvcop 'isafstation'ary member standing in the path of movement :of a thread .fof:an inoompletely unwoundoop :asfthe latter `moves from the unwindingstation toward said anotherstation WALTER 'SGHWEI'IER.

References V`Citedin the 'le of-this `patent UNITED "STATES PATENTS'Name 'Date Abbott Feb.' 9, 1926 Y Colman "Dec.28,'1`926 Esser et al ADec. :29,: 1942

